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Tag Archives: hard rock
Album review : YESTERDAY & TODAY – S/T and Struck Down (Remasters)

Rock Candy Records [Release date 18.07.25] 1972 : In the days before they abbreviated to Y&T, they called themselves Yesterday & Today, after the Beatles’ latest US album release of the time, allegedly. The band line up got shuffled a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Cream, Dave Meniketti, hard rock, review, Rock Candy Records, Struck Down, UFO, Y&T, Yesterday & Today
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Single review: BLACKLIST UNION – Up In Smoke

BLU Records “Up In Smoke” is the new single from Blacklist Union, and I like it. A lot. With a driving rhythm section, great guitar work and some almost hypnotic vocals (and one of the coolest videos you will see … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Blacklist Union, hard rock, review, rock, single, Up In Smoke
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Album review: HEARTS ON FIRE – Signs & Wonders

Pride & Joy Music [Release date 25.07.25] Seven years after their debut album, 2018’s ‘Call Of Destiny’, Hearts On Fire are back and have a new vocalist, non-other than Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring of Fire, Royal Hunt and many, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Eric Ragno, hard rock, Hearts On Fire, Mark Boals, melodic rock, Pride & Joy Music, review, Signs & Wonders
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Album review : INGLORIOUS – V

Frontiers Music [Release date 06.06.25] Inglorious’s unimaginatively titled fifth album sees bassman Colin Parkinson and singer Nathan James back together. (They resolved their differences over a pint, where else?) Joining them in this new iteration of the band are guitarist, … Continue reading
Album review: MARIO VAYNE – The Moment

Facebook [Release date 23.05.25] I’ll get straight to the point, new album “The Moment” by Australia’s Mario Vayne is my favourite release of 2025 so far. I’d heard debut single “Rock n Roll Day” on Planet Rock and it’s Def Leppard … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Def Leppard, Enuff Z Nuff, hard rock, Mario Vayne, melodic rock, review, rock, The Moment
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Gig review: DANNY BOWES – The Junction, 2, Cambridge,1 June 2025

Pretty much everyone who is a fan of British Hard Rock knows the story of Thunder’s lead singer Danny Bowes in regards to his stroke, the plummet down a set of stairs and the severe damage to his brain masking … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events
Tagged 1 June 2025, 2, Cambridge, chat, classic rock, Danny Bowes, gig, hard rock, Q&A, review, rock, spoken word, Terraplane, The Junction, Thunder
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Album review: TRAGIK – Crescendo

Rock Company [Release date 28.05.25] Tragik are back with album number thirteen and their first in two years, which is some gap for them, although Phil Vincent has been busy with his other musical projects. Joining him are Vince O’Regan, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, BTO, Crescendo, hard rock, melodic rock, Phil Vincent, review, rock, Tragik
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Gig review: CHANTEL McGREGOR – The 100 Club, London, 23 May 2025

Before concentrating on Chantel’s set, a quick word about Blue Nation, who kick off proceedings tonight with a highly entertaining 45 minute set. The Brummie band have some great songs and a ‘let’s have fun’ ethic that shines through their … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 23 May 2025, Album Launch, Blue Nation, blues, blues rock, Chantel McGregor, gig, guitarist, hard rock, London, prog, review, rock, the 100 Club
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Feature: THE DARKER MY HORIZON’s Bakers Dozen

The Darker My Horizon recently release their fifth album, ‘From Out Of The Ashes’ on March 23 – ten years to the day of the release of their debut album ‘Acquiesce’. Baker’s Dozen, in which various musicians choose 13 songs – … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged Bakers Dozen, Europe, Extreme, feature, hard rock, John Sykes, melodic rock, playlist, Spotify, the Darker My Horizon, Whitesnake
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Rising Stars: BLACKLIST UNION

Blacklist Union return with new single ‘Mississippi Moonhound’ — a swampy, swaggering anthem delivering a powerful blast of wild and untamed rock ‘n’ roll. The new single captures the feeling of being haunted by your past while howling into the … Continue reading
EP review: BRAKE LOOSE – Frenetic

Symphonic Distribution [Release date 30.05.25] “Frenetic” is the debut EP from Irish band Brake Loose. Opening track “Dancing on the Red Line” will leave you in no doubt that the band are heavily influenced by the ‘80’s (and there is … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged 80's rock, Billy Idol, Brake Loose, EP, Frenetic, hard rock, review, rock, The Cult
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Gig review: LEAFHOUND – Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 24 April 2025

The chequered history of Leafhound is now into its long awaited third act. The original band’s sole 1971 album ‘Growers of Mushroom’ became a cult classic with original LP’s going for many thousands of pounds. Then in the mid-2000s lead … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged blues rock, Cabbage Patch, Dominic French, Eel Pie Club, gig, hard rock, Leafhound, Luke Rayner, Pete French, Peter Herbert
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Album review: CHANTEL McGREGOR – The Healing

On Sunday 11 May on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio Pete Feenstra chatted to Chantel about the new album and featuring a selection of tracks. Website [Release 23.05.25] This is Chantel McGregor’s third studio album, following on from her 2011 debut, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, Chantel McGregor, guitarist, hard rock, interview, prog, radio, review, rock, The Healing
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Album review: GILLAN – Future Shock, Magic

Demon Music Group [Release date 25.04.25] To coincide with Demon’s recent 7-CD Gillan box, they have released these two wonderful albums in expanded format, and just to behold, wonderful they are too. Led by then former and again now current … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, Bernie Torme, classic rock, Deep Purple, Future Shock, Gillan, hard rock, Ian Gillan, John McCoy, Magic, Mick Underwood, re-issues, review, rock, Vinyl
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Album review : ROCK-OUT Let’s Call It Rock’n’Roll

Frontiers Music [Release date : 11.04.25] Third album from Swiss band, Rock-Out. I know, let’s sign a band who sound a bit like AC/DC, a bit like Accept, and a lot like Krokus. It’s a pretty limited soundscape, especially as … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AC/DC, Accept, Frontiers, hard rock, KROKUS, review, Swiss
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News: Albums of the Month (January – March 2025)

A quarterly feature highlighting album releases rated highly by the GRTR! review team and worthy of your investigation. We try and pick out a cross-section of albums that reflect the range of genres reviewed at the website. PERFECT PLAN Heart … Continue reading
Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged 2025, albums of the month, classic rock, February, hard rock, January, March, melodic rock, R&B, singer songwriter, soul
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Album review: CRY FOR MERCY – This Machine

Bandcamp [Release date 04.04.25] A new name for me, Cry For Mercy hail from North Wales and are a self styled ‘powerhouse trio’ consisting of Kev Plant on vocals and bass, Andy Cutty on guitars and Kev’s son, Aled, on … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bad Company, blues rock, Cry for Mercy, Gun, hard rock, review, rock, This Machine
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Gig review: JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE – The Underworld, Camden, March 13 2025

Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the band’s debut album “Blackout in The Red Room”, Love/Hate frontman Jizzy Pearl led his current incarnation of the band through a decade defying gig that was reminiscent of the original band back in the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Blackout In The Red Room, Camden, classic album, gig, hard rock, Jizzy Pearl, Love/Hate, March 13 2025, review, rock, sleaze rock, The Underworld
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Album review: SIGN OF THE WOLF

Escape Music [Release date 25.04.25] Sign of the Wolf’s debut album is an interesting one as it was created by Fireworks magazine’s Bruce Mee, who wanted to bring back that gloriously epic and melodic hard rock sound from the early … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andrew Freeman, Black Sabbath, Bruce Mee, Classic Albums, classic rock, Dio, hard rock, Rainbow, review, rock, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Carey
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Album review: JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE – Punk Rock Fiesta!

Kenyon Records [Release date 01.03.25] It is hard to believe that it is now 35 years since the release of debut album “Blackout In The Red Room” and frontman Jizzy Pearl is still flying the flag for Love/Hate, latest album … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classic rock, hard rock, Jizzy Pearl, Love/Hate, Punk Rock Fiesta!, review, rock, sleaze rock
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Album review: ERIC BASS – If I Had A Name

Independent Release [Release date 28.02.25] Eric Bass is best known as the co-songwriter, producer, and bassist for multiplatinum rock institution Shinedown. As the bassist, co-songwriter, and producer for Shinedown – a band renowned for headlining major festivals and holding the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged ADHD, album, autism, concept album, Eric Bass, glam rock, hard rock, If I had a Name, modern rock, review, rock, Shinedown, Solo
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Album review: GILLAN – 1978-1982

Edsel/Demon Music Group [Release date 28.02.25] Formed by Ian Gillan, former Deep Purple vocalist, in 1978, Gillan were a solid energetic and successful rock band, albeit for a short period. And despite successful tours, albums, hit singles, the band’s lack … Continue reading
Album review: ANGELINE – Rhythm of One

Blow Your Fez Off Music [Release date 03.03.25] Angeline is not a band this reviewer has heard much from prior to this new album, their fifth since reuniting in 2010 (Angeline first started back in 1987). Fellow GRTR! reviewer Nikk … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Angeline, hard rock, melodic rock, review, Rhythm of One
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